Filter apparatus



Nov. 14, R950 E. T. JuLlus 2,529,698

FILTER APPARATUS Filed July 15, 194e a ///V//////v /4 l 26 24 l 25/ ka/25 f3 l 28/ k 2f 22 ,a9 25 even for relatively short trips.

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILTER APPARATUS Earl T. Julius, Skokie, Ill.

Application July 13, 1946, Serial No. 683,472

(Cl. 21o-183) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to filter apparatus and is particularly useful for the filtering of a stream of liquid such as oil supplied to a motor of the automotive types and other types.

In the use of lubricating oil filters as today employed in connection with automobile motors. etc., it is found that the filtering material which is generally formed of cotton thread waste, etc., when saturated with oil, dirt, carbon, sludge, etc., is too still or heavy when cold to allow the oil pumped from the engine crankcase to flow through the filtering material. Consequently, lubricating oil filters are oi' little value in cold weather and particularly on short trips. Even if a by-pass should be employed, the filter as a whole is not subjected sufiiciently to the warm oil to produce a quick pre-heating of the filtering material so as to enable it to function properly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a filter structure which will circulate warm or heated oil around a filter and through a central.

aperture therein so as to quickly pre-heat the filter and render it efi'ective as a filtering means A further object is to provide an effective temperature responsive device for controlling the circulation of heated oil about and through a central passage of the filter and, after a pre-determined temperature has been reached, causing substantially all of the oil to pass through the filter. ther object is to provide a filter closure or head which may be attached to existing lter casings to effectively control the by-passing of oil during the warming stage through the central pas-` sage of the filter while stopping such circulation and requiring the oil to pass through the ltering material after a pre-determined temperature has been reached. Yet another object is to provide a filter head or closure removably secured to a standard oil filter for controlling the cycling of oil through the central passage of the filter and checking such cycling after the filtering material has been heated to a predetermined temperature. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in preferred embodiments, by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a filter structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view of a valve control sleeve employed; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a fiow tube secured to the closure: Fig. 4, a plan view of the heat expension control coil employed; Fig. 5, a vertical sectional view of a modified form of filter struc- A furture; and Fig. 6, a broken vertical sectional view of a modified form of structure embodying my invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I designates a casing provided 'on one side with an inlet opening II and at its bottom side with an outlet opening I2. The easing I0 is provided at its top side with an outwardly flared flange I3 provided with spaced preferations adapted to receive the locking bolts Il.

The casing I 0 is shown provided with a central dished bottom portion I5. Above the portion I5 and resting on a bottom iiange is an imperforate disc I6 having a centrally upwardlyprojected portion I1 provided centrally with an aperture I8. A cartridge of lterirg material I9 is supported upon the disc I6 and .s provided with a central passage 20. The cartridge i9 may be of any suitable type or construction It may simply be formed of a batt of thread waste or the like forming a filtering body or it may be formed by enclosing any fibrous or other filtering material within a metal container having perforations therein through which the oil may enter the filtering body I9 and also may enter the central tubular passage 20. Since such filter bodies are well known, a further description of the cartridge I9 is believed unnecessary.

Mounted upon the flange I3 of the casing I0 is a closure member 2| having lateral flanges A perforated to receive the locking bolts I4. A sealing disc 22 is also clamped in position between the flanges of the closure and flanges I3 so as to maintain the oil or other liquid within r the chamber below.

Secured centrally to the closure 2 I by spot welding or other means is a tubular member 23 provided with a lateral port 24. A valve collar or sleeve 25 is provided with a port 26 alignable with port 24 and the sleeve 25 is-free1y received upon the tube 23. Fixed to the lower end of the tube 23 is a sealing member 21 which may be welded to the tube 23 or threadedly secured thereto and a washer 28 may be provided between sleeve 25 and sealing member 21. It will be noted that the seealing member 2'I is wide enough to close ofi' the central flow passage entirely when the cloiiire 2| is in operation position, as illustrated in The sleeve member is centrally apertured to receive the tube 23 and is provided at its top with a laterally extending arm 29. The arm 29 is apertured to receive the upwardly turned end 30 of the expansion coil element 3I. The outer end of the expansion coil element 3| is provided with a,sao,oos

3 an outwardly turned end portion $2 received within a recess il of the closure 2i.

The lower end of tube 2l may be brought to aclosedpolnhasillustratedbestinll'igal and3 and provided with a transverse outlet passage I4.

It will be noted that the closure 2i provides a self-contained unit and is adapted to be applied to any standard filter casing having the usual nlter cartridge Il disposed therein.

Operation In the operation of the iilter structure. oil from the engine crankcase. etc. is pumped to the inlet Il and into the filter chamber. While the oil is relatively cold, the parte are positioned, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the oil flows through the aperture 2l, port 24 and thence downwardly through the ports 34 into the central passage 2l of the filter cartridge and thence outwardly through the opening i8 and outlet opening l2 to the return conduit. As the oil becomes warmer, its passage about the iilter I9 and through the central passage 20 thereof warms the filter both from its exterior and internal surfacesand quickly brings it to the temperature of the circulated oil. 'I'he pre-heating of the filtering material renders it emcient as a filtering means and when a predetermined temperature has been reached, the element ll expands and its movable end 30 causes a rotation of the sleeve 2l so as to close off the aperture 24. Thereafter, the oil is required to flow through the openings of the filter cartridge and through the filtering material and the central passage 20, and thence outwardly through the outlet passage I2. 'I'he baille or sealing disc 22 causes the flow of the oil to remain within the chamber below coils 3| and also serves to delay the action of the warm oil on the coil for a sumcient period of time to let the filter cartridge warm up sufficiently for effective ltration.

The coil of the thermostat or expansion element Il may be formed'of copper or any material having the desired quality of expansion and contraction to give the action needed. Further. the length of wire or ribbon 3| may be modified to give the necessary movement for opening and closing the aperture 24.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 5, the casing I is provided with an inlet 36 and an outlet 31. A sealing member Il may be secured in the bottom portion of the chamber I5 and may be securedby welding or other means to a tube 39. The tube 3l may be provided with openings 40 through which oil may be received within the tube Il from the interior of the filter.

The filter 4| may be formed of any suitable filtering material held within a perforated metal container so that oil may enter the ltering material and may then pass out interiorly into the central passage 42 of the filter cartridge.

A closure 43 is held in position upon casing 35 by a clamp nut 44 threadedly engaging the upper end of tube I8 and a sealing gasket 45 may be employed between nut 44 and closure 43. A control sleeve 46 is rotatably carried about tube 3l and is provided with an aperture 41 aligned when the structure is cold with the aperture 48 of tube 39. The sleeve 41 is provided at its upper end with an apertured arm 4l. An expansion coil Il is mounted in the upper end of closure member 43 with one end thereof iixed within a recess ofthe closure 43 and the other end 52 turned upwardly and received within the recess of arm 49.

In the operation of the modied structure in Fig. 5, oil, when cold, passes through inlet n and through the aligned apertures 41 and 48 and the tube I! and thence downwardly through outlet 31. When a temperature has been attained under which a thorough pre-heating of the filter 4| is brought about, the expansion element l. rotates the arm 4! to close the aperture 48 of tube 3l and thereafter oil passes through the apertured metal casing of filter 4| and then into central passage 42 and thence outwardly through passages 40 into tube 3l and outlet I1.

A sealing collar I3 may be welded or otherwisesecuredtothetubesoastoforma seal for the central passage 42 of the filter 'cartridge while at the same time providing a -support forfthe sleeve 40.

In both of the modifications illustrated, it will be noted that the closure is a complete unit in itself carrying means for sealing the central passage of the filter and for admitting a regulated amount of oil to the central passage for recycling. The closure also carries its own thermostatlcally controlled means for closing off the circulation through the central passage of the filter and requiring the heated oil to pass through the filter cartridge into the central passage thereof.

The closures are adapted to be secured to any standard filter structure and are readily removable. If desired, the head may be removed during hot weather or summer months and a simple closure head substituted. The thermostatically controlled head may be placed again in position for use during the winter months, etc. The structure is simple, requiring no modification of existing filter casings and is readily adaptable thereto for efficiently controlling the recirculation of oil and pheheating of the filter.

With the structure described, it will be noted that the filter is preheated within an extremely short time because the incoming oil is caused to now not only around the filter cartridge but through its interior so that the heat traverses the filter body not only from the exterior side but also from the interior side and with the result that the filter. when placed in use, is warmed uniformly throughout and is not merely warmed along its exterior side.

Elin the modification shown in Fig. 6, the central tube Bil is perforated at 8l and is surrounded by an enclosure 62 provided with an inlet opening 63. The inlet opening S3 provides a valve seat adapted to receive the valve member t4 carried by the expansion spring Si. 'I'he expanfsion spring 6I may be housed within a casing 66 provided with a reduced threaded extension 61 engaging a tapped opening in the casing il.

In the operation of the modification shown in-Fig. 6, while the oil is relatively cool, it will circulate around the nlter and through opening 63, perforations 6|, and thence downwardly through the tube 60 to the outlet at the bottom of the casing.' When the oil reaches a predetermined temperature, the spring expands suiilclently to bring the valve 84 into engagement with the seat 63, and thereafter the oil hasta pass through the filter itself in order to reach the outlet. In-this construction, no rotary valve is employed. but the movement of valve I4 is in a longitudinal direction when closing the opening 6I.

While in the foregoing specication I have set forth specific embodiments illustrating in detail modes in which the invention may be practiced. it will be understood that the details set out may be modified widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. A lter adapted for the treating of oil, comprising a casing providing a filter chamber open at its top, a head casing recessed on its lower side to provide a head chamber above the filter chamber, means ior releasably securing said casing members together, a iilter cartridge in said lter chamber provided' with a, vertical centra-l passage, means for introducing liquid into said chamber about the exterior of said cartridge, means communicating with the lower end oi said central passage for withdrawing liquid, a closure for the upper end of said passage and having an aperture therethrough, a tube extending through said aperture and upwardly into said head chamber, said tube having a laterally-openl ing port, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said tube and having an inlet opening alignable with the port of said tube, and a temperature-responsive coil member having one end anchored to said head casing and the other end anchored to said sleeve for rotating said sleeve when the temperature of the incoming liquid reaches a predetermined temperature and causes an expansion of said temperature-responsive coil, said sleeve being removable from said tube and with said head casing 'when the head casing is separated from said first-mentioned casing.

2. A ilter structure for treating a stream of oil, comprising a casing providing a. filter chamber open at its top, a head casing having a recess on its inner side providing a head chamber, means for releasably securing together the two casings, a filter cartridge in said lter chamber provided with a central vertical passage,

means for introducing liquid into said filter chamber about said filter, means for withdrawing liquid from the lower portion of the central passage in said filter, a closure for the upper end having a central aperture therethrough, a tube extending into said central passage and through the aperture of said closure into the chamber thereabove, said tube being in communication with the interior of said central passage and having the upper portion thereof above said closure provided with an inlet port, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said tube and provided with an inlet passage adapted to be brought into alignment with said inlet port of said tube, said sleeve having an arm at its upper end extending radially therefrom, and an expansion coil in said head chamber having one end secured to the radially-extending arm of said sleeve and having its outer end nxed to said head casing, said sleeve being freely slidable upon said tube.

EARL T. JULi'US.

REFERENQES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 288,622 Copeland Nov. 20, 1883 1,813,122 Moore July '7, 1931 1,989,598 Kline Jan. 29, 1935 2,005,751 Peo June 25, 1935 2,106,863 `ilihitney Feb. 1, 1938 2,250,299 Downing July 22, 1941 2,294,330 Clark Aug. 25, 1942 2,389,555 Sharples Nov. 20, 1945 

